Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Luke Williams said the franchise had used the 2027 Women's Premier League (WPL) auction in Kochi on 28 October to build depth around a retained core, with the two-time champions snapping up six uncapped Indian players to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.

Who MI Picked Up

Shweta Sehrawat, the Delhi-based batter who was UP Warriorz's lone retention ahead of the 2026 season and a member of India's 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup-winning squad, was the marquee addition. She sparked a bidding war between MI and Delhi Capitals before eventually going to MI for ₹20 lakh — double her base price. The remaining five recruits — Disha Kasat, Latika Inamdar, Bharti Rawal, Saanika Chalke, and Akshita Bhagat — each came in at ₹10 lakh.

In-Form Vidarbha Duo Catch MI's Eye

Among the new faces, the Vidarbha pair of Kasat and Inamdar arrived riding strong form. Just a day before the auction, both had played pivotal roles in a tense chase against Punjab in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy in Lucknow. Kasat opened the innings and finished unbeaten on 66 off 52 balls, while Inamdar contributed a brisk 17 off 8 balls.

Chalke, a 20-year-old left-handed top-order batter, carries fresh Under-19 pedigree — she was part of India's 2025 Under-19 T20 World Cup-winning side and struck 85 off 53 balls against Jharkhand in the same competition. Bhagat, meanwhile, claimed the Under-23 category of the WPL Speed Queen contest with a top speed of 105 kph and has since represented India A against Australia A in Mohali.

Williams on the Strategy

Speaking at the post-auction press conference, Williams underlined the franchise's thinking: 'With the retentions, we had a sort of solid core group that we were able to retain. So certainly today was about trying to add to the group, whether that's in the starting XI potentially, or if not, providing different options and coverage through the tournament, depending on what surfaces we play on and if there are any injuries or players out of form.'

He added: 'Really happy with the depth that we've built across different areas and really excited to work with some new players.' The coach also credited MI's scouting network for identifying the targets: 'Obviously the scouts did a lot of work identifying different players and then going through various networks to do our research. Really happy with how it's unfolded and excited that some young players get an opportunity at the WPL.'

The One That Got Away

MI entered the auction with a purse of ₹90 lakh and made an early move for India batter Kiran Navgire, pushing the bid to ₹70 lakh before withdrawing. Delhi Capitals ultimately secured Navgire for ₹75 lakh.

What's Next for MI

The 2027 WPL season is scheduled to run from 14 January to 7 February 2027, though venues are yet to be confirmed. With a retained core now supplemented by six young, in-form additions, MI will look to defend the momentum of a franchise that has already claimed the title twice — and the scouting-first approach Williams described suggests a long-term investment in Indian women's cricket talent.